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Reproductive health should be in curriculum
The high number of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers is a result of a lack of proper reproductive health education, an activist said on Saturday
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he high number of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers is a result of a lack of proper reproductive health education, an activist said on Saturday.
'We cannot blame the teenagers if they are sexually active. Perhaps, they had no information from their homes or schools,' said Dian M. Marviana, senior coordinator of Mitra Citra Remaja teenage program at the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI).
'Unfortunately, reproductive health is not yet included in the curriculum for either elementary or high schools.'
Based on a survey by the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN) in 2008, 57 percent of young residents -- aged 15-24 years old -- in Bandung city had been sexually active. Out of the most sexually active 54 respondents, 59 percent had their first sexual encounter aged between 16 and 18 years old.
Meanwhile, the 2012 Demographics and Health Survey reveals that out of 1,000 female youths, 48 were pregnant or had delivered babies, an increase from 35 out of the same number in 2007. The government wants to reduce the figure to 30.
PKBI national youth representative, Liris Kosasih Judorahardjo said providing reproductive health materials was not the same as teaching youths about pre-marital sex.
'We must provide the youth with proper knowledge on reproductive health,' she said.
